Let the Bowl Season Begin!

It was all smiles today in the Bronx as the 2010 New Era Pinstripe Bowl and the New York Yankees officially welcomed Syracuse and Kansas State to the inaugural game. Head coach Doug Marrone and KSU coach Bill Snyder saw Yankee Stadium in a football configuration for the first time as they posed on the field for photos in the legendary stadium.

The teams will square off for the third time in a bowl game on Thursday, Dec. 30 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx (3:20 p.m., ESPN). Syracuse is 1-1 against the Wildcats, having beaten KSU in the 2001 Insight.com Bowl and losing to KSU in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl.

Syracuse University has created a variety of attractive fan packages for those wishing to attend the game. Packages include various combinations of tickets, travel options, hotel accommodations and access to pre-game activities.

To purchase tickets and book travel packages, visit SUathletics.com/bowlcentral or call 866-832-6746.

The Orange earned its first bowl bid since 2004 on the strength of a 7-5 record in Marrone's second season. Marrone, a life-long fan of the New York Yankees, is a Bronx native and a 1982 graduate of Herbert H. Lehman High School, located less than 10 minutes from Yankee Stadium.

Marrone's affinity for the Yankees isn't his only tie to the 27-time World Series champions. His maternal grandfather, Robert Thompson, worked as an usher at the old Yankee Stadium for nearly 20 years.

Overall, this is Syracuse's 23rd bowl appearance. The Orange is 12-9-1 all-time in bowl games and owns a 3-2 bowl record against Big 12 opponents, including the 26-3 victory against Kansas State in the 2001 Insight.com Bowl.

Syracuse University Athletics

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